Linking and Exploring Authority Files TEL-ME-MOR/M-CAST Seminar, Prague November 23 rd 2006

1. Linking and Exploring Authority Files TEL-ME-MOR/M-CAST Seminar, Prague November 23rd 2006 Hans-Jörg Lieder, Berlin State Library

2. Overview • Authority Control / Context Information • Limitations • LEAF • Objectives • Innovations • LEAF System Architecture • LEAF and other Systems

3. Authority Control • Libraries • Separate data records – authority records – describing persons, corporate bodies, subjects etc., maintained independantly from bibliographic records (as independent database (e.g. PND) or tables/group of tables within library system • Authority records can be linked to a variety of resources • Purpose of a person name authority record: disambiguation of a name, i.e. establishing of a 1:1 relationship between a name and a person

4. Context Information • Archives • Traditionally biographical information is part of an archival record • Purpose of biographical context information: providing context for the specific archival record

5. Present Limitations • Access to authority data is limited to some institutions only • Access to authority data is dependant of employed cataloguing rules and data formats • Cross-domain sharing of authority data (e.g. between libraries, archives, museums and other ‘memory institutions‘) does not exist • Public users do not have access to authority data

6. Examples Minimal level library authority record: • Smith, John, 1563-1616 (LOC) Biographical context information in archives come in all shapes and sizes Richer library authority record:

9. LEAF • European project within the 5th Framework of the European Commission, Programme “Information Society Technology” • March 2001 – February 2004 • 15 partners in 10 countries

10. LEAF Objectives 1 LEAF (Linking and Exploring Authority Files) developed a prototype system through which (internationally) distributed personname authority records are gathered, automatically linked in meaningful ways, made available to a variety of operations and opened up for multiple analysis.

11. LEAF Objectives 2 The following steps are included: • new or updated local name authority records are fetched/harvested by or uploaded to the LEAF system on a regular basis • all records in the LEAF system are converted into one common exchange format (EAC) and inserted into a central database • records describing the same person are automatically linked • all records in the LEAF database are available for search and retrieval

12. LEAF Objectives 3 • retrieved search results are stored in a Central Name Authority File • registered users can annotate records • external systems can query the LEAF service • LEAF can query external systems • external resources can link to LEAF records • results retrieved in LEAF can be used as search arguments in other applications

13. LEAF Innovations • Common exchange format for libraries and archives • Linking process • Usage impact • Addition of annotations • Integration into a distributed search service

14. Exchange format EAC, Encoded Archival Context • XML DTD, parallel to EAD (Encoded Archival Description) • Describes circumstances of creation and use of records, including the identification of persons, corporate bodies and families, their roles and relationships • Compatible with MARC family, MAB and archival standardISAAR(CPF) (Int. Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons, and Families)

15. EAC structure

16. EAC example (partial) <identity> <pershead rule="aacr2"authorized="UCM"languagecode="spa"scriptcode="latn"ea="100"> <part type="surname">Pi Sunyer</part> <part type="forename">Charles</part> </pershead> <pershead rule="aacr2"languagecode="spa"scriptcode="latn" ea="400"> <part type="surname">Pi i Sunyer</part> <part type="forename">Charles</part> </pershead> <pershead rule="aacr2"languagecode="spa"scriptcode="latn"ea="400"> <part type="surname">Pi Sunyer</part> <part type="forename">Carlos</part> </pershead> <nameadds> <date scope="active"calendar="gregorian"normal="1888/1971"form="rangeclosed"ea="100$d">1888-1971</date> </nameadds> </identity>

17. Linking process • Local records are harvested via ftp, OAI or Z39.50, converted into EAC to form LEAF Authority Records (LARs) • When LARs are found to describe the same person according to linking rules (based on names, dates, IDs), they are merged into a Shared LEAF Authority Record (SLAR) • Records and links are regularly updated

18. Usage impact • When a user retrieves a LEAF record, its status is changed to Central Name Authority Record (CNAR) • Data providers can see which of their records have been used and target the improvements they make to their data • Records never used may be removed from the central system after an expiry date

19. Public annotations • Registered users can make temporary annotations to (shared) LEAF records, e.g. to suggest a correction • Data providers are alerted when an annotation is made to one of their records • Registered users can make persistent annotations to central LEAF records, e.g. to provide a piece of information of general interest

20. Private annotations • A private workspace is available to registered users • They can save central LEAF records into it • They can make private annotations to the saved records • They receive a warning if a central LEAF record they saved is modified

21. System Architecture Conversion unit UserInterface Presentation unit User Workspace unit Logging unit Admin. unit Registration unit Annotation unit Search unit Export unit Offlinecomponents ACQUISITION REPOSITORY External Z39.50 system Linkingunit Database Access unit Maintenance Suite Data import unit LEAFdatabase MALVINE Search Engine External Services Harvesting unit MALVINE User Interface LocalData Base LocalData Base LocalData Base Online components

36. Possible problem with a distributed search Search argument: Ludwig returns records returns no records 100 Ludwig $b 14 $c franz. König 400 Louis $b XIV $c Roi de France 100 Louis $b XIV $c Roi de France

37. Turgenev, Ivan S. Turgenjew, Iwan S. Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevic Turgenev, Ivan Turgenjew, Iwan Turgenjew, Iwan Sergejewitsch Turgenjew, I. S. Turgenjew, I. Turgenew, Iwan Turgenew, Iwan S. Turgenew, Iwan Sergejewitsch Turgenjew, Iwan Sergejewic Turjenjew, Iwan S. Turgenjeff, Iwan Turgenjeff, Iwan S. Turgenjeff, I. S. Turgeniew, Iwan S. Turgeniew, Iwan Turgenjev, Iwan Turghenew, Iwan Turgenew, Johann von Turgenew, I. S. Turgeneff, Johann von Tourguénev, Ivan Turgeneff, Sergei Turgénjew, Iwan Sergejewitsch The Issue of Names

38. Integration LEAF functionalities were tested in combination with the MALVINE service (i.e. a distributed search service for manuscript descriptions; see: www.malvine.org). How does it work?

46. Next steps / Failed Plans • After end of project (February 2004), consortium, plans to scale up to a full LEAF service. • But, so far no follow-up, and the project website has disappeared. • However prototype remains: http://iiss033.joanneum.at:8100/Leaf2/index • No integration yet with Malvine. • Current deliberations: Kalliope, MALVINE.

47. Follow-up? • Reactivate? • Study add-ons to VIAF? E.g. annotations • Any experiences with LEAF to share? Depends on the future of TEL!

48. Contacts • Technical questions: kurt.majcen@joanneum.ac.at • All other questions: hans-joerg.lieder@sbb.spk-berlin.de